Police Report Serious Motorcycle Crash on Independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach

Every year, more motorcycles are out on the highways of Virginia Beach. We were alarmed to read police have reported a serious motorcycle crash on Independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach.

Few details were released on the incident on Friday but the Virginia Beach Police Department tweeted that the incident took place on the 1000 block of Independence Blvd.

Dispatchers received a call at around 2:15 p.m. Injuries were reported but there was no information about how many people were hurt or the extent of the injuries.

A minivan was involved in the accident. Photographs from the scene showed the vehicle with minimal damage to a door.

The crash shut down a southbound lane of Independence Blvd. between Haygood Road and Witchduck Road.

Our thoughts are with those who sustained injuries in this serious motorcycle crash on Independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach. We hope they make a speedy recovery.

Every year Virginia Beach sees fatal motorcycle crashes. Last month, a rider was killed in the largest city in the Commonwealth. Virginia State Police stated two Suzuki riders were traveling at a high speed on I-264. One of them hit the back of a Honda Odyssey minivan. The rider lost control of his bike and crashed into a Jersey wall. The van then crashed into the second motorcycle, whose rider was ejected from the bike.

Both motorcyclists were treated at a local hospital for life-threatening injuries. One of them died later of his injuries.

Motorcycle Crash on Independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach Came at Time of Rising Bike Wrecks

Increasing numbers of motorcyclists are losing their lives in Virginia. Last year, the state saw a spike in rider deaths.

Traffic safety reports found 107 bikers were killed in Virginia, representing a 10-year high. The number of motorcyclists killed in the state in 2017 was almost 50 percent higher than in 2016 when 72 riders lost their lives.

Riders are particularly vulnerable to the actions of other drivers. Car and truck drivers who are making left turns often fail to check for motorcyclists, hitting riders or causing motorcyclists to drive into them. Far too many bikers are killed and injured by drivers who simply fail to see them or to check in their blind spots until it’s too late.

Drivers should maintain at least two-cars’ worth of space between their vehicle and a motorcycle. You should always look out for riders who could be in your blind spot.

Riders have a responsibility not to speed or lane split in slow traffic, a highly dangerous scenario.

If you are on a motorcycle, you should make sure to wear proper safety equipment including a helmet. Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles points out a helmet is the most important piece of safety equipment a motorcyclist wears.

Helmets are about 29 percent effective in stopping motorcycle deaths and about 67 percent effective in curbing brain injuries. An unhelmeted rider is 40 percent more likely to sustain a fatal head injury than a helmeted rider.

In Virginia, motorcyclists and passengers must wear an approved motorcycle helmet that meets or betters the standards and specifications of the Snell Memorial Foundation, the American National Standards Institute, Inc., or the federal Department of Transportation.

The full details of the serious motorcycle crash on Independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach remain unclear but we every year riders suffer horrendous injuries in Virginia Beach.

Our Virginia Beach accident lawyers have a client meeting location near Town Center in Virginia Beach. Please call us at (757) 333-3333.